When Margaritaville at Sea (MAS) took over the Paradise from its former owner, the cruise ship, and a sister ship, was sailing 2-day sailings from West Palm Beach. The ships stopped in Freeport and they were meant to be an inexpensive, quick getaway.
A 2-day trip was meant to give Jimmy Buffett fans (and others) a chance to take a sort of mini vacation. It was a good idea, and the $99 starting price tag for a double occupancy cabin was attractive for many people.
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The problem is that getting on and off a cruise ship for a two-day cruise was a lot of work for less than 48 hours of vacation. MAS partially addressed that by adding a second ship, Islander, sailing 4,5, and 7-day trips out of Tampa.
That ship, which began sailing in June, had debuted to almost unanimously positive reviews. The longer sailings were cited by many as a positive. Now, MAS has added longer sailings on Paradise.
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